


Why no, no more than reason

by Mortalcoil



Series: Love on, I will requite thee [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-06 16:38:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8760802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mortalcoil/pseuds/Mortalcoil
Summary: Buffy puts on her big girl shoes to convince Faith to stay with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Again, no beta, all mistakes are my own. 
> 
> I hope you like it :)

The warm comforting blanket of a dream living with Buffy lifted within 20 feet of Faith leaving the Summers’ house.

 

She had just spent the last hour in an awkward breakfast with the two blondes. Faith tried her hardest to convince Buffy and Joyce that she was still the hardass bitch that they loved to hate. Buffy tried to smooth over the roughness of the room with plans to make the guest room homelier for Faith. While Joyce did her best to keep both girls fed and ease the slowly building tension.

 

Buffy’s efforts to stop Faith retreating behind her leather wall became more and more desperate until Faith suggested she go back to the hotel to collect her stuff.

 

That’s where Faith was headed now, and she made short work of it, turning her brisk walk into a sprint as soon as she left Revello Drive.

 

Barely puffed and hands itching to get into some quality slaying she opened the door to her room and got to work immediately. She packed up her clothes and toiletries. She bypassed most of her ‘décor’, the pieces were mostly luxuries she’d liberated at a five fingered discount.

 

Thoroughly pleased at the efficient way she’d stripped the room bare of any humanity she’d added, she nodded and, full duffel over her shoulder, walked out the door for the last time.

 

It was only halfway to the bus station that she realised she’d already made a decision. She had showed her vulnerable side the blonde. She broke down in front of her. No way was she going back there.

 

She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the station and didn’t see the blonde in sight. She had a feeling that Buffy may have known Faith would skip town but perhaps the other slayer had that much ‘faith’ in her. She chuckled to herself at the older girl’s blind innocence.

 

She slid her hand into her pocket and gave over enough paper to buy her the next ride to LA. _Hell, if Summers can do it so can I._

 

It was still two hours away so she found a bench to lay down on and closed her eyes, trusting her instincts to stop anyone before they dared take her stuff.

 

 

“Has Faith come back honey?” Joyce came descended the stairs, freshly showered and drying her hair.

 

“Hmm…?” Buffy lifted her eyes from her fingers tapping on the dining table, “Oh, no. Not yet.”

 

Buffy had the distinct feeling that when Faith had left the house she wasn’t coming back. Something in the way Faith subtly looked over the Summers’ house as she left. Or maybe it was when she locked eyes with Buffy before turning around, a mix between a _thank you_ and _I’m sorry_.

 

Buffy frowned, “Do you think she…?”

 

Joyce walked over and placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, “I think she looked scared and a bit overwhelmed. It pains me to say, but I don’t think she used to people helping her.”

 

Buffy nodded and let her head fall into her waiting hands.

 

“You really care about her don’t you?”

 

Buffy nodded as best as she could with her head still down. “Didn’t at first, but now she- we- there’s a connection. Slayer connection. We… buzz when we’re near each other. It’s kind of comforting to have that near. But now when I think about her lost and alone…”

 

“You would do anything to help her?” Joyce smiled knowingly. “You like her.” It was a statement.

 

“Mom?” Buffy lifted her head.

 

Joyce shrugged, “You see it sometimes. When you come home from patrol,” the word was like slime on her tongue, “You can’t take your eyes off each other. Maybe it is the slayer connection, so you say. But it’s ok if it isn’t you know. I’m from San Francisco originally honey, I can handle a little weird.”

 

Buffy laughed but it died quickly. “I don’t know, it’s confusing and maybe it’s nothing, but I kind of don’t want her to leave before I find out.”

 

“How will you find her?” Joyce sat down.

 

Buffy thought about that. At first she thought Boston, but then she realised Faith had run from there for a reason. Too much death there for a frightened runaway. She grimaced at the next logical option.

 

“One moment.”

 

She jumped up and raced up the stairs. Joyce heard some banging from the top floor but it stopped once Buffy came running back down with a card in her hand. She went over to the phone and looking at the card, dialled.

 

“Hello? Hi. I was wondering when the next bus to LA was leaving?” She risked a side glance at her mother and kicked herself for it.

 

Joyce’s hands turned to fists but she quickly regained control. Her face however, one filled with grief and anger couldn’t be tamed.

 

“Really?” Buffy perked up, “Great! I mean. Good I still have time. Thank you,” she hung up. Finally turned to her mum she bit her lip, “Umm… so there’s a bus to LA in an hour, I could leave now and hopefully catch her, if she’s there.” She rung her hands but busied them with the effort of putting on a jacket.

 

“You still have the card?” Joyce barely whispered, struggling to get the words out.

 

“Mom I- I didn’t remember it was still in my coat until just now. I wasn’t keeping it I swear.”

 

Joyce turned her head but kept her eyes focused on the wall, “Promise me you’ll come back.”

 

“Of course! Slayer’s honour! Runaway-Buffy is gone; I’m just worried about Runaway-Faith at the moment.”

 

Her mother nodded in painful understanding, giving permission for her only daughter to leave.

 

“And Mom?” Buffy opened the door, “Thank you.”

 

 

 

Faith felt it when she was caught. Part of her was giddy and electric to see the blonde again, the other part of her reprimanded the former, told it to pull up it’s socks and run like hell. _Funny all I’m good for is runnin’._

 

She felt the air pressure change when a person neared her space and simply stood there. Faith tried to resist opening her eyes. It would lead to badness. _Since when do I say badness? This girl is not good for me._

 

“You found me,” she simply said.

 

“Takes a runner to know one,” Buffy spat out, harsher than she intended.

 

“We could run together.” Faith didn’t realise the inadvertent meaning until it was too late. She let it slide because _technically_ she wouldn’t object to it.

 

Apparently Buffy would.

 

“Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt that says ‘I heart Hell’ and all,” Buffy moved Faith’s feet so she could sit on the bench.

 

Faith huffed, opening her eyes and sitting up straight. She didn’t look at Buffy.

 

“What were you gonna do when you got there?”

 

The brunette shrugged, “Find a cheap place to crash. See what the dance scene is like in the big city. Maybe go to a few ball games, miss them in Sunny D.”

 

She looked out onto the busway and the few that were lined up. Some were going north to Washington, some way out east, but her LA bus was still a good half hour away.

 

“I’d miss you if you left,” Buffy shifted closer, fingers entwined in her lap.

 

Faith smiled sadly, “Bet you’d miss that crackpot of a principal too just ‘cause you couldn’t complain anymore.”

 

“That’s not true, I’d have plenty to complain about,” she tilted her head, “Sunnydale doesn’t have even half the shoe shops it needs to. The clock in my room makes this really loud tick-tock but I can’t convince my mom to get rid of it ‘cause she can’t even hear it. The girl in front of me wouldn’t know the word friendship if it came up behind her and bit her on the-“ she frowned.

 

Faith laughed and turned to look at her, eyebrow up, “No, keep going, I like where that sentence was going.” She gave Buffy a once over.

 

Buffy blushed. “Point being… I actually can’t remember.”

 

“Too busy thinkin’ naughty thoughts B?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

 

“Faith!” _Oh God now I am thinking naughty thoughts! Shoes. Shopping. Clothes. Faith in leather. Faith’s butt in leather. What. No. But the electricity. It’s a slayer thing. Let’s try it out first. No. SHOES, SHOES SHOES SHOES._ “Shoes.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What? Oh, nothing.” Buffy looked away, trying to hide the heat in her face. 

 

“Bus’ll be here soon, so if you’re comin’ better grab a ticket, if not, say your goodbyes.” Faith stood up and stretched, trying to rid herself of the tight nauseating knot in her stomach.

 

That wasn’t normal. This was her, doing her thing. Life’s hard sometimes so you’ve got to change it up. She tried to tell herself it wasn’t running, just looking for new scenery. She was bored in Sunnydale and needed somewhere different. If that happened remove some judgemental know-it-all uppity types, so be it. She wasn’t going to complain. But for some reason she hurt to think that Buffy might not follow her, and she would be without her slayer companion.

 

“I promised Mom I’d come back from the bus station this time.” Buffy eyed Faith carefully. She could see the tension in the girl’s shoulders. Faith was about to hop on a bus to LA but her legs were full of energy like she was preparing to literally run there.  “Come back with me.”

 

“Why should I? Even if you say you’d miss me, doubt those Scoobs of yours would blink an eye. Don’t get me wrong, I’m five by five having people not like me,” somehow Buffy doubted that, the girl oozed built up charisma to rope people in, “But if I don’t need to stick around people like that, I won’t.”

 

Buffy stood up too.

 

“Do it for me then. I like you Faith.”

 

Faith clenched and unclenched her fist, _she doesn’t mean it like that, get over yourself Faith._

 

“You know how much I hate my name? Faith,” she rolled off her tongue like it was chopped liver. “Bet me Da had a real laugh when he bounced on Ma and his little Faith. Ever thought about changin’ your name?”

 

“Eh,” Buffy let the subject change, “Truthfully it’s short for Elizabeth but, I don’t really like that either. I like your name though. Makes me think of the sun, or spring, driving through Mulholland Drive. That kind of thing.”

 

_Huh?_ Faith looked at Buffy, confusion obviously her only emotion.

 

“Umm…” _back track Buffy, you can do it,_ “You know. Good things. It’s a nice name.” _Don’t quit your day job. Night job?_

 Faith barked a laugh, “Nice name, yeah.”

 

“Faith,” Buffy pleaded, making the girl turn and look down at her.

 

Faith grimaced slightly at the name and Buffy smiled apologetically.

 

“Stay. Please. I don’t want you to leave.”

 

“Again, why? A few weeks ago you were practically itchin’ ta get rid of me,” Faith threw her hands up in disbelief.

 

“I feel you. You do too yeah?” Faith nodded ever so slightly. “It’s kind of, nice. It’s a good feeling. And if you were away, it’d be gone.”

 

“Ha!” Faith picked up her bag and started walking away, closer to where the bus would pull up. “So all I’m good for is nice buzzin’ feelin’ ya get?”

 

“Wait!” Buffy ran to catch up, “I didn’t mean it like that. I _like_ you!”

 

Faith stopped and turned around. Buffy had to use her reflexes to stop from running into her but they were still only inches apart.

 

“Yeah, you said that B. Then you said you don’t want me leaving so you can feel nice an’ cozy an’ warm inside. I may be a slut but I still know I’m worth more than that,” she spat hot air onto Buffy’s face.

 

Buffy’s heartrate sped up and it was all she could do not to look at those dark red lips. _Oh God I do_ like _her._

 

“You’re worth more than that to me too.” Buffy hesitantly raised her hand to grip Faith’s upper arm.

 

“B?” Faith breathed. Buffy’s touch seemed to relax the anger out of her but her muscles took on a whole new tension.

 

Buffy took her eyes off Faith’s and watched as her hand made it way from Faith’s arm, to her shoulder, up her neck and to cup her cheek. She faintly felt the other girl’s pulse when she brushed over her jugular, it seemed to be in time with her own.

 

“I think,” she breathed out sharply, “You're worth more to me than I ever realised.” Her eyes flicked up to Faith’s to catch her reaction but went back to her hand on her cheek.

 

“We can’t.” Faith made no move to remove Buffy’s hand.

 

Though Faith’s words and her actions were in contradiction, Buffy couldn’t hide the hurt from her face.

 

“I’m not good B,” she used her own hand to tilt the blondes chin so they were looking eye-to-eye. “I told you. I’m dirty and not right. You’re… you’re golden.”

 

_Come on Buffy, let’s do this. It’s not so hard. You died and came back to life, this’ll be a breeze._ “You said I have the Midas touch.”

 

Faith frowned.

 

_You can do it._ “What about my lips?”

 

Faith’s breath caught in her throat. Unwanted emotion settled in her chest. It was lighter than the black tar she felt the night before, more like helium.

 

_Go for it girl._ Buffy tentatively closed the distance between their lips and closed her eyes as they met softly. Faith was rigid until Buffy move her lips against her. She relaxed and moved her hand to hold Buffy’s head close, her other hand dropping the duffle and gripping her waist.

 

Buffy felt herself float. Her lips tingled and body trembled at the touch of Faith. _If she doesn’t have the Midas touch I don’t know what this is_. That thought flicked through her mushy brain but it was quickly let go as everything ceased to exist around her. At least until Faith pulled away to look into her eyes.

 

The emotion Buffy saw there caused a ripple effect in her own heart tears of joy threatened to wash over her.

 

The moment was broken by a snarky comment from a young skater rolling by, “Fucking dykes.”

 

Faith’s grip on Buffy’s neck and waist tightened to the point that if she wasn’t a slayer Buffy would’ve crumbled under the pressure.

 

“Shh…” Buffy tried to sooth, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.” Well, she did, but she wasn’t going to let some idiot kid ruin the moment.

 

“It does matter. I’m not gonna let people talk about you like that,” Faith let go and bent down to pick up her bag.

 

“What? Faith?” Buffy couldn’t believe it, she went out on a limb and Faith was still going to leave?

 

“I’m used to being that weird kid. The goth, the slut, whatever weird phase I got myself into. But you’re not.” She pointed in the direction of the skater to prove her point, “People are gonna talk like that the rest of our lives, your life, if this thing happens. I won’t have them do that to you.”

 

“I don’t think I care.”

 

Faith looked at her skeptically, “Of course you do B. You kill vamps in the latest fashion in case you run into people you know.”

 

“Says you Miss impractical-leather-wearing-slayer,” Buffy sulked and pouted.

 

Faith couldn’t believe how that imaged tore into her.

 

“What would your mom say? Giles? The Scoobs? What if someone from school saw you?”

 

“Mom’s ok with it. She kind of… told me I liked you. Not that I needed telling! And Giles is new-age Watcher. He was even cool when Angel and I-“ she stopped, no opening that can of worms. “The guys’ll be fine, they may freak, Xander may be a little too happy but they’ll get over it. And I really don’t care about my classmates.”

 

Faith rolled her neck. This was happening and Buffy wanted it to happen. _How? When?_ Faith couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t throw a flirt at the blonde, but never did she think it would be reciprocated.

 

“If…” Buffy deflated, “If you don’t want to you know… like… be together, I still want you to come home with me. I promise no unwanted kiss-age.”

 

Faith smiled at her English. Not that she was any better, but it was a different misuse of the language. Faith almost loved it, and at that realisation…

 

“So,” she dropped the duffel _again_ and put her hands on the blonde’s waist. “If I came back with you, that means no,” she leant in close, “Kissing?”

 

Buffy dumbly nodded then frowned, “Wait, no?”

 

“So I can?” Their air mingled.

 

Buffy nodded more certainly.

 

Faith closed the distance again, this time neither were still, both actively moving their lips together. Buffy felt warmth flow into her, seemingly beginning everywhere, and she linked her arms around the taller girl’s neck.

 

Faith opened her mouth to lick a line across Buffy’s lips. The other slayer greedily let her in and their tongues began a dance. Faith too felt the warmth, she felt her skin sizzle and her brain melt into nothing. Buffy sucked on her tongue briefly and Faith had to stop herself from collapsing onto the ground.

 

They parted slightly to gasp in air but met again more feverishly.

 

They forgot they were in public until another person, an older woman, spoke, “Dykes.”

 

Neither broke from the kiss, Faith raised her hand to wave her middle finger at the passer-by but let it resume its place at Buffy’s waist. Other people simply gawked, men watched with interest while their wives pushed them along, or women watched with subtle curiosity.

 

Their breasts were pushed together and it felt entirely different and weird to Buffy but _oh so right_.

 

They parted again when both were short of air, breaths coming in fast, hearts beating to joined rhythm.

 

Both smiled and held onto each other tightly. They had one another. It was new. It was frightening. It was going to be the best thing that had ever happened to them.

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from a line in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I strongly suggest reading it. It's a great comedy that actually made me laugh aloud. Personally I place it on par or higher than Hamlet. Hero and Claudio's scenes can be a bit boring but it's worth pulling through to get to Benedick and Beatrice's scenes, the charisma is just amazing. I'd suggest reading up on Shakepeare's innuendos first to get the full effect.
> 
> I also wanted to explain that I use Aus/UK spelling except when the accent calls for it. Because it looks weird 'hearing' (in my mind) Buffy say 'mum' not 'mom'.


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